Improvement in toy monuments



6X. ffl/'J'er Mfzumenf.

No. 121,936. Patented Dec.19,1s71.

J'z'yz" A11 N UOLN .DIED 7 Apr-I4 [86.53.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. FISHER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOY MONUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,936, dated December19, 1871 antedated December 3, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it kfnown that I, GEORGE W. FISHER, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and Sta-te of New York, have invented acertain Toy Monument, ofwhich the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a toy for the amusement and instruction ofchildren, consisting of blocks laid up in the form of a monument andprovided with letters, inscriptions, or Words, as desired.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one forln of luyinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 areplan views of the courses, showing different forms of section and modesofconnectingthe blocks inthe courses.

The monument is built up of several horizontal courses, each composed oftwo or more sections or blocks, a, which are constructed to locktogether by means of dovetails c, Figs. 3 and 4, or inclined tongues andgrooves, c', Fig. 5. The vertical rod or bar b, Fig. 2, is secured tothe pedestal d and passes through the center of the courses, each blocka being so formed that when put together into a course the latter shallslip easily down upon the rod b to its place. The cap e and urn or otherornamental mounting f iit closely upon the upper extremity of the bar,and when pressed down upon contact with the top of the monument bind thecourses firmly together. The central block gis preferably made solid,with a central opening to admit the tie-rods b, and appropriateinscriptions may be placed upon its outer faces. The sides of the blocksa may also be provided with letters, words, or figures, which, as theblocks are revolved about the 4bar b, present different combination inwords or sentences, in vertical or diagonal lines, as indicated inFig. 1. The upper or lower or both faces of each course of blocks havelarge letters upon them, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, portions ofwhich in most cases extend upon all the sections of the course; andthese letters are arranged upon the courses in such order that when thestructure is built up they shall form a certain word, reading themconsecutively from either top or bottom, as monument.7

The puzzle consists in selecting from a mixed pile of blocks thosebelonging to each course, putting them together by means of thedovetails or tongues, and building up the monument from the courses soformed, each in its order according to the inclination of the sides, theletters upon the face of the courses spelling a word, and those upon thesides (when used) forming any desired combination, according to theaxial position of the courses.

The cross-section of the monument may be square, circular, octagonal, orother desirable form, and its sides may be vertical or inclined,according to the taste of the purchaser or manufacturer.

These toys may be very cheaply constructed by forming the shaft of themonument in one piece, boring the central hole, and sawing off thecourses, each course being afterward cut into sections with a whip orscroll saw. When inclined tongues are used, as shown in Fig. 5, thesections a may be formed in long strips, each section being providedwith a tongue and groove and afterward put together and sawed intocourses as before.

Another plan of connecting the sections of the courses is shown in Fig.6, in which doubled strips of metal c', the folded edges of which aresecured in grooves formed longitudinally in the central rod b, branchout into the form of a Y in each section of the course. Thisconstruction is very cheap and simple, but prevents the adjustment ofthe courses circumierentially.

`What I claim as my invention is- 1. Atoy monument,con sistin g ofseveral courses of blocks divided vertically, and suitably connectedtogether within the periphery or outline of the made-up sections, forthe purpose set forth.

2. A toy monument having its several sections sustained in a verticalposition by means of a base, d, and rod b, with or Without the pedimente f, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

GEO. W. FISHER.

